The Dedham Vale Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) and Stour Valley Project has established the Stour Valley Environment Fund (SVEF) to support charities and voluntary groups working to enhance community life and the environment on both the Essex and Suffolk sides of the River Stour. The new Fund is both donation seeking and grant giving, and is managed on behalf of the AONB by local grantmaking charitable trust, Essex Community Foundation (ECF) (Reg. Charity No. 1052061).

Grants of up to £2,500 will be awarded twice a year, in January and September, and the next deadline is Monday 9 January 2012.

To apply for a grant and to make a donation please contact Essex Community Foundation on 01245 355947 or visit www.essexcommunityfoundation.org.uk

For more information please contact Dedham Vale AONB and Stour Valley Project on 01473 264263,dedhamvale.project@suffolk.gov.uk or visit www.dedhamvalestourvalley.org

Click to view:

Full Press Release
(pdf 29KB)

Stour Valley Environment Fund
Information Sheet
(pdf 409KB)

The Stour Valley Landscape Partnership with lottery funding through the scheme "Managing a Masterpiece' are presently changing the appearance of the river between Flatford Mill and Dedham and through to Stratford St Mary. Work being carried out in the Spring of 2011 is to re-pollard a large number of the willows beside the River Stour. This traditional management technique will help to perpetuate the views of the valley seen in Constable's day and ensure the survival of these historic trees. Pollard were used to produce small timber for fencing and other local trades and the foliage would be used as a welcome additional source of feed for live-stock.

When cut on a regular 4-15 year cycle, this also prevented the re-growth on the crown becoming too large and thus susceptible to storm damage, avoiding the subsequent harm to the bole of the tree that could occur if left un-cut.

Many of the pollards between Dedham and Stratford-St-Mary have not been cut for over 20 years and are in imminent danger of collapse, hence the urgency of this work, as some of the best specimens are over two hundred years old.

Neil Catchpole, Landscape and Biodiversity Office, Dedham Vale AONB & Stour Valley Project will provide any further information. He can be contacted on 01473 264263 or 07989521084.

Those using the river will notice the efficiency of the work that Neil and his team are showing. The enormous quantity of timber and foliage cut down is removed at the time of the work thus leaving the riverside clear of any obstructions and blemishes.

John Osborn, April 2011

AONB Undergrounding of Cables - Disaster!

Alfred Munnings described Boxted Mill as “the jewel of the Dedham Vale”but work done by EDF in undergrounding cables across the AONB, including a replacement transformer, has deeply scarred  the views.

Let me work through the background:

The overhead cables require periodic transformers to boost power - the existing transformer was pole mounted in the middle of a field and not overly intrusive;

• EDF agreed a wayleave with the landowner, Minter Estates, for the route of the underground cables;
• The Farm Manager, Mark Hollingsworth, requested that the replacement transformer be sited on the edge of the field, some 40 metres from the original position, to allow better access to the field;
• A new transformer could not be sited at ground level as it is on a flood plain;
• However, the new transformer is a massive structure consisting of two 30ft telegraph poles, with a cross beam on which is mounted the transformer. Additionally two thick red cables rise out of the ground and the top is adorned by a series of spikes presumably lightning conductors etc.

The overall effect is a towering structure dominating the immediate area.

By moving the transformer to the edge of the field, for the benefit of the farmer, Island Cottage now has this massive structure within 7.8 metres of the edge of its property, dominating the views, and almost certainly devaluing the property. Similarly the view from Boxted Mill is dominated by the structure.

The only information received by residents in the immediate area was a notification that power supplies would be off for a period –no information was provided on the works to be done. When the work was in progress, and residents realise the magnitude of the structure , they approached the EDF engineers and requested that the transformer be sited behind trees to screen it from the local properties –it was said that the transformer could not be placed so close to trees. As I write this I can look at one of the old style transformers outside my property and I have always been advised that the only requirement was a 5 metre clearance from surrounding trees.

It is clear that EDF gave no consideration to the beauty of the immediate area, have proceeded with no recognition of the sensitivity of the area within an AONB and sought to minimise costs involved.

I appreciate that EDF is a statutory undertaker and so, under a General Development Order, does not require planning permission so the provisions of the Colchester Local Development Framework protecting the AONB do not apply. However, they do have obligations to the environment under the Electricity Act 1989, and, specifically to AONBs under the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000, Section 85.

I would ask:

• The Project to use its influence to either seek a less intrusive transformer system or for it to be sited in a more sensitive manner using the provisions stated above,
• The County and Borough Councillors to view the site and make whatever representations are possible.

Our local contact who will handle complaints and pass them onto higher authority is:   Matthew White, EDF Energy Network, 7-19 Smeaton Close, Colchester CO4 9QY

The whole point of undergrounding the cables is wasted, if a system of large and intrusive transformers marching across the countryside is to replace them. 

Britain's only known Roman chariot racing circus could be destined to become part of a housing development. Further details of the campaign to Save the Roman Circus can be found on www.romancircus.org.

Donations may be made online or by cheque to Colchester Archaeological Trust, 12 Lexden Road, Colchester CO3 3NF. For further information, contact Bill Hayton, Appeal Co-ordinator on 07973 635692

An invitation to a charity lunch and/or an evening lecture with TV presenter & Architecture critic Dan Cruickshank in aid of Colchester Roman Circus on Tuesday 16th February. The Lunch is being held at the Sun Inn in Dedham and the evening lecture is in the Town Hall in Colchester. Click to download the invitations (pdf 75Kb)

Some of the new plantings in Dedham
John Osborn, 8th December 2008

The Dedham Vale AONB and Stour Valley Project manage the programme with help from The Sustainable Development Fund, The National Trust and Babergh District Council. An explanatory notice has been posted in a prominent position close to the bridge, which can be veiwed by clicking here (pdf 110Kb).

John Osborn, 12th April 2008

John Osborn, 11th July 2008

Dedham Vale AONB and Stour Valley Project have confirmed that the article in the local press and available to view here is indeed based on fact! 'Work starts to take down power lines' Essex County Standard 22 February 2008 (pdf 151Kb)
EDF Energy also produced a press release 'Power lines removed from Constable Country' 13 February 2008 (pdf 36Kb)

Langham to Boxted Mill work will start March 08 and Dedham to East Bergholt in Aug 08. Scheme costs are £547,690 for Langham and £269,100 for Dedham scheme. The money comes from Ofgem. The national allowance of c. £60m for undergrounding overhead lines is derived from Ofgem's cost assessment of undergrounding 1.5% of the overhead network within the AONBs and National Parks.

John Osborn, 28th February 2008

A12 INQUIRY LAUNCH

Please find the following media invite from Essex County Council: 7 April 2008. Meet at: Park and Ride, by the A12, at Chelmsford on Wednesday 9th April at 10am.

Media are invited to a press conference to mark the beginning of an inquiry into Britain’s ‘worst road’ on Wednesday 9th April. The A12 Inquiry is set to officially begin its work this month under the chairmanship of former head of the Department for Transport, Sir David Rowlands.

The inquiry is the first of its kind to be held by a local authority into a major trunk route in Britain. The A12, which is owned and maintained by the Highways Agency has been identified by a leading insurance company as being Britain’s worst road and is estimated to cost the Essex economy £250 million in delays every year.

Sir David will outline his remit and methodology for the inquiry and the Leader of Essex County Council, Lord Hanningfield will be available to explain Essex County Council’s decision to commission the inquiry.

The press conference will be held by the A12 itself. Media are asked to meet at the Terminus Building, Sandon Park and Ride, Woodhill Road, Sandon, Chelmsford CM2 7RU on Wednesday 9th April 2008 at 10am sharp.